Location

Sweden: Stockholm

Program Summary

Stretching more than 1,200 miles from its northern reaches in the Arctic Circle to its southern tip that is parallel with Denmark, Sweden encompasses a wealth of natural beauty. It offers forests covering more than half of the country, numerous large rivers, and the longest coastline in Europe. Consequently, outdoor activities are very popular. Most of the population lives in small rural towns, and while the major cities are populous and modern, they retain some of their ancient charm with pockets of medieval streets and architecture. Traditional festivities include celebrations of nature, most notably the return of spring. And during the summer in the North of Sweden, you will experience the sun not going down at all- known as the midnattssol (midnight sun). AFS host family placements are located throughout Sweden.

Program Highlights

When you arrive in Stockholm, you'll attend a 2-3 day orientation where you'll meet other AFS Exchange Students, learn about Sweden, and begin learning Swedish. The ...

Program Summary

Stretching more than 1,200 miles from its northern reaches in the Arctic Circle to its southern tip that is parallel with Denmark, Sweden encompasses a wealth of natural beauty. It offers forests covering more than half of the country, numerous large rivers, and the longest coastline in Europe. Consequently, outdoor activities are very popular. Most of the population lives in small rural towns, and while the major cities are populous and modern, they retain some of their ancient charm with pockets of medieval streets and architecture. Traditional festivities include celebrations of nature, most notably the return of spring. And during the summer in the North of Sweden, you will experience the sun not going down at all- known as the midnattssol (midnight sun). AFS host family placements are located throughout Sweden.

Program Highlights

When you arrive in Stockholm, you'll attend a 2-3 day orientation where you'll meet other AFS Exchange Students, learn about Sweden, and begin learning Swedish. The Swedes prize personal freedom and accountability, so your responsibilities at home and school will reflect those values. You'll probably live in a small city or town, and attend school from August through June, with vacations in November, December, February, and at Easter. Your coursework in the gymnasieskola will focus on specific academic tracks: natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, or economics, and will also include Swedish language classes, civics, math, science, sports, health, and the arts. In Sweden, the style of instruction is mainly a lecture format followed by classroom discussions. Extracurricular AFS Activities include cultural and social outings organized by the volunteers. AFS students are placed with volunteer host families throughout Sweden.

I chose AFS because of it's reputation for exchanges and it's long history in the field.

Spending time on the Swedish west coast with my host family all the time was simply memorable.

Program Duration

7-12 Months

Type of Programs

Cultural Exploration

Student Exchange

Language Immersion

Languages

Swedish

Cost in US$:

Please refer to AFS-USA Website

Program Fees Include:

- Professional guidance and support throughout the entire application and program
- Placement with a carefully selected volunteer host family
- Placement with a host school
- Round-trip international travel
- Orientations prior to departure and after your arrival
- Comprehensive secondary medical insurance
- Visa information
- Access to a support network that includes AFS Professional Staff in the U.S. and your host country, plus thousands of trained volunteers worldwide.
- 24-hour emergency assistance